Weekend in Sydney - A Tale of Two Cities

Sydney Travel Blog

I need to begin this by stating that I am glad I went to Sydney. However, it was like a tale of two weekends.

Part
I: The Bad. I took the 530a flight to Sydney and was in the heart of
the city by 900a. I walked around the Rocks and Circular Quay. The
visitor center that Dr and Mrs Giebelhaus recommended that I start my
day at didnt open until 930, so I decided to make my first official act
in Sydney to be crossing the Harbour Bridge on foot. It provided me
with a wonderful view. I got back in an hour and then got a ticket to
ride the doubledecker tour bus around the city so that I could get a
handle on the city. It was one of those where you can get on and off
and have all day to ride the bus. So I took it until it got close to my
hotel.

View from the top of the doubledecker tourist bus.

I decided that it was a good way to get around instead of public
transport and I had already paid for it. So I walk to the "hotel" that
I had booked through the travel agent. It was called a "backpacker's
inn" so I envisioned a one-star hotel. I was wrong. I got a hostel. A
hot hostel that had no air conditioning. It was near 35C/95F outside.
When I got to my room I almost cried. It was even hotter than outside
felt. There was only enough room in the room for the bed, a table and a
chair (and they barely fit). The bed was hardly usable. I won't even
begin to describe the state of the shared bathroom. I sat in my room
for about as long as I could handle it. I unloaded my backpack of
everything that I was ok with if it got stolen (my clothes and
toiletries).

It was clear that everything I had on me that was worth anything
was going to be on my person at all times.

In case I got homesick, Coke is there.

I had to get away from the
hotel. So I hopped back on the bus and went around Sydney two more
times. It was nice because I got sun and a good breeze so it wasn't so
hot outside. I finally decided to head back to the hotel and get some
rest (I had been up since 330a) and was exhausted from the heat and all
of the walking. I get back to the hotel and tried to nap. It was, of
course, hot as hell. There was also the prevailing odor of bad Korean
food. I had the window open as far as it would and there was the lovely
sound of construction to prevent me from getting as much rest as I
could. Of course, the heat made it where my pillow was wet from the
sweat. I laid there and thought about what I could do to correct this.
I hated Sydney and I didn't want to. I knew the hotel was mostly the
reason. It just so happened that I was about a block from where the
study abroad group stayed when they were here in Sydney. It's also the
same brand as our hotel in Brisbane (Ibis). I got myself together,
walked to the Ibis and booked a room for the next night. The relief
that followed was amazing. I went back to my room and passed out more
than fell asleep. Thus ends the bad part of Sydney.